Rotary folding mechanism.



mum. ROTABYFOLDING MEUHANIQM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1908. I 99,74 7 v v Patented Sept-29, 190s.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBER'I LANG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOSS PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ROTARY FOLDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IIUBERT LANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Folding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to folding mechanism for rotary presses wherein the folding blade carried by a rotary carrier is operated by suitable mechanism, which, by moving the folding blade into and out of folding position while traveling in the same general direction therewith, operates the folding blade without a blow or violent contact of parts.

My invention particularly relates to improvements in the folding mechanism shown and described in Letters Patent to Hans P. Husby, granted November 12, 1907, No. 871,038.

More particularly still, my invention relates to improvements in rotary folding mechanism in which the folding blade on the rotary carrier is provided with a recessed or slotted cross head at its end and is operated so as to move the folding blade into and out of folding position by a rotary member provided with a stud adapted to engage the slotted or recessed cross head. Such recessed cross head operated by rotary members is shown and described in patent to Hans P. Husby, granted November 12, 1907, No. 870,964. In this patent, however, two rotary members are shown which successively engage a slotted cross head, one upon each end of the folding blade shaft, the one rotary member moving the folding blade into folding position and the other thereupon engaging the recess in the cross head on the other end of the shaft and moving the folding blade out of folding and into normal position.

In another application filed herewith, Ser. No. 431,7 82, I have shown a mechanism in which the folding blade provided with a recessed cross head may be engaged while in normal position, moved into folding position, moved out of folding position and delivered in normal position by a single rotary member provided with engaging studs, and which is enabled to so operate by so placing the said rotary member that its axis will lie between the axis of the rotary carrier and the circular path of travel of the axis of the folding blade, the said rotary member being of such size that the circle of travel of the stud will intersect the circle of travel of said folding blade at the point of the engagement of the stud with the lead end of the cross head and at the point at which said stud becomes disengaged from the cross head.

In my present invention I have provided mechanism in which a rotary member similarly located is provided with two studs, one of which shall always engage one end of the cross head and the other always engage the other end of the cross head when said cross head. has been reversed in moving the folding blade, thereby insuring accuracy of engagement, as each stud may be adjusted to accurately and snugly fit its own recessed end of the cross head.

My present invention, therefore, relates to the above described mechanism, and further to the providing of two folding blades placed diametrically opposite one another in the rotary carrier, one folding blade being operated by a cross head or tumbling lever and a rotary member at one end of the rotary carrier, and the other by a corresponding cross head or tumbling lever and rotary member at the other end of the rotary carrier and so arranged as to operate alternately, one rotary member upon one folding blade and tumbling lever and the other-upon the oppositely disposed folding blade and tumbling lever.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is an end view showing the folding blades in normal position, with one folding blade in the act of being engaged by the rotary member. Fig. 2 is an end view, showing one folding blade moved into folding position in solid lines and with the folding blade freeing itself from the engaging stud and returned to normal position in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the rotary member broken away.

Referring to the drawings :4 indicates a rotary carrier mounted upon shaft 5 which is journaled in any suitable framework, as 6. The rotary carrier is of the usual form and construction, and, as it is preferably also used as one member of a cutting mechanism,

cooperate with knife 8 on cutting cylinder 9,

it is provided with cutting grooves 7 which and is also provided with impaling pins 10, all of which may be of any well-known and approved form and construction and operate in the wellknown manner, and hence are only conventionally indicated.

1112 indicate folding blade shafts which are journaled in the rotary carrier 4 in the usual manner and are provided respectively with folding blades 1314. The shafts 1.1 and 12 and the folding blades thereon are located diametrically opposite each other in the carrier 4.

15 indicates a cross head or tumbling lever which is located upon one end of the blade shaft 1.1 and is provided at its ends with recesses 1617, which are adapted to receive the studs hereinafter described.

18 indicates a curved guide supported by suitable framework, as 19, exterior to one end of the rotary carrier 4 and in the same vertical plane and therefore in register with the cross head 15. The inner surface of said guide 18 is circular and concentric with the axis of the rotary carrier and is adapted to bear upon the cross head 15 while the same is moved around with the rotary carrier and to hold the same with the folding blade 13 attached thereto in normal inoperative position while not being operated to fold the paper. The guide 18 is cut away at the bottom to permit the operation of the folding blade.

. 202O indicate folding rollers which are mounted in the usual manner in the framework 6 and are operated to fold the paper which is thrust between them by the folding blades in the well-known manner, and are located below the opening in the guide 18.

21 indicates a gear which is secured upon the shaft 5, exterior to the guide 18.

22 indicates a gear which is mounted on a boss 23 carried by the framework 6 and meshes with the gear 21.

24 indicates a gear which is mounted upon a boss 25 carried by the framework 6 and meshes with the gear 22. The axis of the boss 25 is located between the axis of the rotary carrier and the circular line of travel of the axis of the folding blade shaft 1]. and in the same diametric plane of the rotary carrier which passes through the axis of the rotary carrier and through the opening between the folding rollers 20. The gears 21 2224 are so related to one another in their circumference and number of teeth that the gear 24 makes three revolutions for each two revolutions of the gear 21 and of the rotary carrier 4.

26 indicates a disk which is formed intogral with or secured to the inner surface of the gear 24.

2728 indicate studs, preferably in the form of rollers, which project inward from the inner surface of the disk 26 and are located diametrically opposite one another justed that just at the moment that the lead end of the cross head 15 reaches the opening in the guide 18 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the stud 27 will be in position to engage. the recess 16, the cross head overtaking the stud 27 which is traveling in the same direction. As the rotation continues, the circle of travel of the stud 27 intersecting the circle of travel of the axis of the blade and of the tumbling lever, the interengagement of the stud and. the recess will move the tumbling lever and the lead edge of the folding blade in a curve into folding position shown in Fig. 2 between the rollers 20-20, tucking the paper, which is carried in the usual manner around the rotary carrier, between the folding rollers 20 which complete the transverse fold. As the rotation of the parts continues, the interengagement of the stud 27 and the recessed cross head will move the cross head and the foldin blade out of folding position and into normal position, delivering the cross head to the guide 18 in normal position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, at which point the disengagement between the stud and the cross head will be effected. As this operation reverses the tumbling lover or cross head so that what was in its first operation its rear end becomes the lead end for the next operation, and as the relative rotation of the rotary member 26 to that of the carrier 4 is as three to two, by the time the cross head 15 comes into position to be again operated its then lead end will be engaged and operated by the roller 28 engaging the recess 17 and the cross head and folding blade will again be moved out of normal into folding position and out of folding into normal position. It will thus be seen that the stud 27 al ays engages the recess 16 and the stud 28 always engages the recess 17 in the cross head 15. By this means the stud 27 and recess 16 and the stud 28 and recess 17 may be accurately j ends and therefore different recesses of the cross head. It will also be obvious from the above description that as the cross head is moved to operate the folding blade by the interengagement of one of the studs with its recessed head while both parts are traveling form of rollers, located diametrically op 0- 'parts at the opposite end of the rotary carin the same direction, the cross head will be operated to move the blade from normal into folding position and from foldingto normal position ready to be received and carried around within the guide without a blow or violent contact of parts, materially increasing the speed at which the machine can be run as com ared with mechanisms wherein there is a bfiw or violent contact of parts at any part of the said operation.

Upon the end of the shaft 12 which is at the opposite end of the carrier 4 from the cross head 15, is mounted a cross head 29 which is provided at its opposite ends with recesses 30-31. The said cross head 29 and its recesses are similar to the cross head 15 and its recesses.

32 indicates a circular guide located exterior to the rotary carrier 4 and at the opposite end from the guide 18. The guide 32 is in all respects like the guide 18 above described and is adapted to receive and guide the tumbling lever 29 in the same manner as above described for. the tumbling lever 1.5 and the guide 18.

33 indicates a gear upon the shaft 5 exterior to the rotary carrier and at the opposite end of the rotary carrier from the gear 21.

34 indicates an intermediate gear journaled upon a suitable boss 35 mounted in the framework 6 and adapted to mesh with the gear 33.

36 indicates a gear which is j ournaled upon a suitable boss 37 mounted on the framework 6 and adapted to mesh with the gear 34.

The gears 33, 34 and 36 are duplicates of the gears 21, 22 and 24 above described, and are of the same proportions and relative number of teeth as the gears 21, 22 and 24, and are similarly placed at the opposite end of the rotary carrier,in other words, the gear 36 rotates three times for each two rotations of the gear 33 and of the rotary car rier 4.

38 indicates a disk like the disk 26 and either secured to or formed integral with the inner face of the gear 36.

3940 indicate studs, preferably in the site one another on the inner face of the disk 38 and adapted to register with and engage the slotted or recessed cross head 29 in the same manner in which the cross head 15 has been above described as being engaged by the studs 2728. The disks 26 and 38, with their respective studs 2728 and 3940, are so positioned that the diametric line passing through the centers of the studs 2728 will be at right angles with the diametric line passing through the studs 39-40. The cross head 29, gears 3334 and 36, disk 38, studs 39 and 40, and guide 32, being, as has been said, exactly like the corresponding rier, it will be obvious without further description that the cross head 29 and blade 14 located diametrically opposite the cross head 15 and blade 13 will be operated exactly in the same manner as above described when describing the operation of the cross head 15 by the studs on the disk 26, alternating in its operation with the first-described folding blade and cross head, so that the aper will be tucked between the folding ro ers twice at each rotation of the rotary carrier.

It will of course be understood that the rotary carrier is to be supplied with paper from a roll or web which is to be folded by the operation of the folding mechanism described above. As this will be readily understood by anyone skilled in the art and in order not to encumber the drawings with unnecessary illustration, I have not shown the web or means for delivering the same to the rotary carrier, except to conventionally illustrate .the impaling pins and cutting knife by which the paper is carried around by the rotary carrier and severed transversely of the web.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a rotary carrier, a folding blade mounted in said carrier, foldin rollers, and a cross head connected to said fo ding blade and recessed at its opposite ends, of a rotary member whose axis is lo cated between the axis of said rotary carrier and the circular path of travel of said folding blade, and a pair of studs on said rotary member adapted respectively at alternate revolutions of the carrier to successively engage the one the recess at one end, the other the recess at the other end of said cross head while said cross head is in normal position, and, while moving in the same direction therewith, to move said folding blade out of normal position into folding position and out of folding position into normal position.

2. The combination with a rotary carrier, a folding blade mounted in said carrier, folding rollers, a cross head connected to said folding blade and recessed at its opposite ends, and a guide adapted to engage said cross head and hold the same in normal position while the blade is not being operated, of a rotary member, a pair of studs carried on said rotary member diametrically opposite each other, and means for driving said rotary member at a speed of three to two with relation to said rotary carrier, whereby said studs respectively will successively engage, one the recess at one end of the cross head and the other at the next revolution of the carrier the recess in the opposite end of said cross head, while said cross head is in normal position, and, while moving in the same direction therewith, will move said folding blade out of normal position into folding position and out of folding position and deliver the folding blade to said guide in normal position.

3. The combination with a rotary carrier, a folding blade mounted in said carrier, folding rollers, a cross head connected to said folding blade and recessed at its opposite ends, and a guide adapted to engage said cross head and hold the same in normal position while the blade is not being operated, of a rotary member whose axis lies between the axis of said rotary carrier and the path of travel of the axis of said folding blade, a pair of studs carried on said rotary member diametrically opposite each other, and means for driving said rotary member at aspeed of three to two with relation to said rotary carrier, whereby said studs respectively will successively engage, one the recess at one end of the cross head and the other at the next revolution of the carrier the recess in the opposite end of said cross head, while said cross head is in normal position, and, while moving in the same direction therewith, will move said folding blade out of normal position into folding position and out of folding position and deliver the folding blade to said guide in normal position.

4. The combination with a rotary carrier, a folding blade mounted in said carrier, folding rollers, a cross head connected to said folding blade and recessed at its opposite ends, and a guide adapted to engage said cross head and hold the same in normal position while the blade is not being operated, of a rotary member whose axis lies between the axis of said rotary carrier and the path of travel of the axis of said folding blade, a pair of studs carried on said rotary member diametrically opposite each other, whose circle of travel intersects the circle of travel of said folding blade axis, and means for driving said rotary member at a speed of three to two with relation to said rotary carrier, whereby said studs respectively will successively engage, one the recess at one end of the cross head and the other at the next revolution of the carrier the recess in the opposite end of said cross head, while said cross head is in normal position, and, while moving in the same direction therewith, will move said folding blade out of normal position into folding position and out of folding position and deliver the folding blade to said guide in normal position.

5. The combination with a rotary carrier, a pair of folding blades mounted in. said carrier diametrically opposite one another, folding rollers, and a cross head recessed at each end connected with each of said folding blades, one exterior to said carrier at one end thereof and the other exterior to said carrier at the other end thereof, of a rotary member exterior to one end of said carrier mounted on an axis lying between the axis of said carrier and the path of travel of said folding blades, a pair of studs 011 said rotary member whose circle of travel will intersect the circle of travel of said folding blades and adapted to successively engage the lead end of the cross head on one of said blades in normal position, and, while traveling in the same direction therewith, to move said folding blade out of normal position into folding position and out of folding position into normal posi tion, a second rotary member exterior to said rotary carrier at the opposite end from said first-mentioned rotary member and mounted 011 an axis lying between the axis of said carrier and the path of travel of said folding blades, a pair of studs on said second rotary member whose circle of travel will intersect the circle of travel of said folding blades an d. adapted to successively engage the lead end of the cross head on the other of said blades in normal position, and, while traveling in the same direction therewith, to move said folding blade out of normal position into folding position and out of folding position into normal position.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. EDDY, J. J. WALSER, Jr. 

